Today's Target: At the end of this class, the students are expected to be able to visualize a kind of classroom in the future.


Reading Proper

If you fast-forward a decade, classrooms and lessons might look a little different, according to Microsoft (MSFT, Fortune 500) Chairman Bill Gates.





1. Today, classes are too big. Lessons are taught the same way to dozens or hundreds of students -- each of whom has different learning style.

2. Technology can, and should, change that, Gates argues.

3. "Being there physically doesn't add much value," Gates told CNNMoney in an exclusive interview. He believes the days of big lectures with hundreds of students gathering in university classrooms may be numbered.

4. Gates envisions a college of the future in which students watch lessons online, delivered by the brightest minds in the field.

5. "If you want the very best lectures, if you want the cost efficiency, you have to break down and say, 'you know, let's take someone else's material," Gates said.

6. With the money saved from hiring professors, resources could be poured into labs and study groups.

7. Gates' idea is one of many visions for the quickly transforming education system in the United States. In a time where tuition costs are rising, and technology is quickly disrupting major industries, many entrepreneurs are wondering why innovation hasn't driven down the cost.




Let us discuss!

1. Classroom of the future: How do you describe or visualize a classroom of the future?


2. With the continuous advancement and alteration of technology in major business industries including education, do you think professors or teachers won't be needed in the future?


3. Gates' main theme was personalized learning, which can be enhanced by new technology.--- What do you think does this mean?


4. A wave of software that's being created that personalizes to the student...- What can you sayv about it?


5. Do you believe that there is a very bright future for the Education Industry?


6. How much willing are you to pay the cost tomorrow's education?

Learning Objective: This is a general information news discussion class. At the end of the session, the participants are expected to be able to agree or disagree about the issue being tackled.


News Story Proper

An economics professor has said English speakers may be poorer because of English grammar. Dr Keith Chen of Yale University suggested that differences in the tenses of the world's languages may explain why people in some countries save more money than people in other countries. He told people at a presentation that the future tense in English could actually make people believe the future is not important now. He said English speakers might think the future is separate from the present, and that this may make people not think about their future. He explained this could stop people saving money for their retirement. He also suggested future tenses may make people smoke more and exercise less.

Professor Chen divided the grammar of countries into two – those with a "strong future-time reference" and those with a weak reference. He explained: "If I wanted to explain to an English-speaking colleague why I can't attend a meeting later today, I could not say 'I go to a seminar'. English grammar would [require] me to say 'I will go, am going, or have to go to a seminar'". He contrasted this with "weak future-time reference" languages" that can express the same meaning without future words like "will". Chen says speakers of these languages are those who save more money. He believes this could be because they do not separate the present time and future in their grammar or in real life.


Activity Proper

1. SPEAKING ENGLISH: How do you feel about being able to use English as a second language? How would you feel about having a good command of English as if you are a native speaker?


2. ENGLISH: What's good and bad about it?

Category--------- Good things--------- Bad things

Jobs
Movies
Studying
Internet
Exams
Friends


3. GRAMMAR: Is it easy or difficult? Why do you say so?


4. FUTURE: What's best about it?

finding a job
travelling abroad
English level
school
house and neighborhood
making friends abroad
hobbies/ sports



"Online activities, the mp3 and printable handouts are available for this lesson at http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com"

Today's Target: This is a grammar (and vocabulary) class. At the end of the session, the participants are expected to be able to practice and familiarize themselves on the proper use of too and either in sentences.



Too/ Either

AND…TOO

After mentioning a positive idea or fact, add another positive comment with and… too. (conjunctive expression)


POSITIVE

I am eight today, and my cousin is too.

I am waiting for our new school to open, and my cousin is too. (present)

I have a new reader (book), and my classmates do too. (Br. Eng. – have too)

I wished for a new school, and my parents did too. (past)

I will work very hard, and my classmates will too. (modal verb)


Too/ Either

AND…NOT EITHER

After mentioning a negative idea or fact, add another negative comment with and… not either. (conjunctive expression)

.
NEGATIVE

I am not a child, and my cousin isn't either.

I am not worrying, and my cousins aren't either.

I don't have a desk, and my classmates don't either. (Br. Eng. – haven't either)

I didn't want to be uneducated, and my friends didn't either.

I won't be late, and my classmates won't either.




Positive / Negative


A POSITIVE STATEMENT

A sentence with a positive verb is "positive" even if the meaning is negative. We use too when adding a comment of agreement to the following:

POSITIVE VERB – POSITIVE MEANING

I like this book, and he does too.

I look forward to beginning school, and my friends do too.



POSITIVE VERB – NEGATIVE MEANING

I dislike this book, and they do too.

I avoid / detest watching that movie, and they do too.



POSITIVE ADVERB – POSITIVE MEANING

They truly believe what he is saying, and I do too. (always, usually, mostly, never / totally, utterly, completely / confidently, assuredly, reasonably, logically)



POSITIVE PRONOUN – POSITIVE MEANING

Everyone believes me, he does too.




Positive / Negative

A NEGATIVE STATEMENT

A sentence with a negative verb is "negative" even if the meaning is positive. We use either when adding a comment of agreement to the following:


NEGATIVE VERB – POSITIVE MEANING

1. I can't help reading this book, and he can't either. = like, can't stop

2. I can't wait to begin school, and she can't either. = eagerly anticipate, look forward to



NEGATIVE VERB – NEGATIVE MEANING

1. I can't stand reading this book, and she can't either. = dislike

2. I can't bear watching that movie again, and I can't either. = cannot tolerate



NEGATIVE ADVERB – NEGATIVE MEANING

1. They hardly believe what he is saying, and I don't either. = (seldom, rarely, never / barely, scarcely)



NEGATIVE PRONOUN – NEGATIVE MEANING

1. No one believes me, and he doesn't either. =(nobody, not any one, none of them, not one person, hardly anyone)




Let's Try:

Instructions: Choose between too or either to complete each sentence.


1. My cousin loves to hear stories, and I do ____.

2. She doesn't watch much television, and I don't ____.

3. My uncle is a wonderful storyteller, and my aunt is ____.

4. He tells scary stories, and she does ____.

5. I can never guess the endings, and no one else can ____.

6. My uncle has a hundred or more stories, and my aunt does ____.

7. He rarely repeats a story, and she rarely does ____.

8. I like the use of their hands and faces, and everyone else does ____.

9. I wish I could tells stories well, and my father sometimes wishes he could ____.

10. I will never forget their stories, and the family won't ____.